The closing ceremony for the 2nd Southeast Asia Conference of Commandants, co-chaired by the Defence Academy Royal Brunei Armed Forces (DA RBAF) and Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, was held at the DA RBAF auditorium yesterday.
Acting Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Brigadier General (U) Dato Seri Pahlawan Mohammad Sharif bin Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim was the guest of honour.
The guest of honour, in his closing remark, spoke on digital innovation’s critical role in transforming defence and military affairs, in line with the conference’s theme, ‘Professional Military Education in the 21st Century’.
The event proceeded with the presentation of certificates and mementos to participating heads of defence universities/ military academies. Commandant of DA RBAF Colonel Pengiran Sharifuddin bin Pengiran Haji Yusof and Commandant of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom Major General Andrew Roe co-chaired the two-day conference.
RBAF deputy service commanders, acting deputy service commander, military directors, defence attaches/advisers and RBAF officers were also present.
Heads of defence universities, military academies and representatives from Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam participated in the conference.
The conference saw discussions and exchanges of views on aspects of contemporary military education and strengthening efforts through mutual collaboration between the armed forces. It also promoted continued dialogue among partner nations and Southeast Asia’s defence academies and institutions to enhance intellectual interoperability in professional military education (PME) while fostering professional development and networking.
On March 2, a welcoming reception was hosted by the Commandant of DA RBAF marking the first occasion of the conference at The Rizqun International Hotel, Gadong.
It commenced in the presence of the Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force with an opening ceremony at the DA RBAF auditorium on March 3.
The current edition witnessed the conference co-chaired by DA RBAF and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, and increased participation from partner military academic institutions, reflects the growing emphasis on the importance of professional military education in the region. – Azlan Othman
